Chapter 3: Whispers and Warnings

After returning to Sword Peak, Lu Mingyi went straight to Xiao Yuxie’s Youlan Pavilion as promised. He Ming was already waiting there.

She was astonished at how quickly Lu Mingyi’s body had recovered. Just that morning when she woke, her meridians had still been quite fragile, but by now, after just one day, she was full of vim and vigor.

However, regarding her cultivation setback, He Ming was still powerless.

“I came out of seclusion and heard about your situation from my master. From these recent pulse diagnoses, your constitution is truly tricky.”

He Ming was a direct disciple of Medicine Peak’s Peak Lord, Yun He Zhenren. Back when Lu Mingyi first had her accident, Jiang Liuzhao had invited Yun He Zhenren herself to treat her personally. Yet even this top medical cultivator in the Cultivation World had been at a complete loss with Lu Mingyi’s condition.

Lu Mingyi had heard such words too many times, so she didn’t take it to heart. Instead, she said to He Ming, “Senior Sister He, I know my own situation well. It’s just that I’ve troubled you and Senior Sister Xiao to worry about me. I still have some herbs and pills on hand. Tomorrow, I’ll visit Medicine Peak in person to express my thanks.”

“No need.” He Ming shook her head, gazing at the person before her. “Sword Peak and Medicine Peak are quite far apart. Though your meridians seem fully healed, it’s still best to rest a few more days. If you can’t yet fly on your sword, you’ll just wear yourself out on the trip.”

As she spoke, she watched Lu Mingyi’s expression closely, only to see it remain calm. “Senior Sister He is right. Then I’ll remember this favor for now and visit Medicine Peak in a few days.”

From heaven’s favored child to watching her own cultivation drop bit by bit—this kind of blow was absolutely massive. Yet Lu Mingyi remained so nonchalant. Whether it was a strong front or genuine, her mentality was already remarkably resilient.

Lu Mingyi noticed He Ming’s subtle scrutinizing gaze, but over the past three years, she’d seen that look too many times to care. Right now, one thing weighed on her mind.

She had no intention of discussing it with Xiao Yuxie—after all, she’d heard that voice here too.

After leaving Youlan Pavilion, Lu Mingyi didn’t return to her Jin Ji Pavilion. Instead, she turned toward the Book Collection Pavilion.

As the most prominent sect in the current Cultivation World, the Taiqing Sect’s Book Collection Pavilion was vast and all-encompassing, boasting an enormous collection and sprawling footprint. Located atop the sect’s Main Peak, it wasn’t too far from any of the Five Peaks.

But today, Lu Mingyi had already been rushing around all day. Even with her astonishingly swift recovery, she was still injured. Walking the path, she couldn’t help but yearn intensely for the days of sword flight.

Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer was the threshold for artifact control, and she’d plummeted straight from Fifth Layer to Third Layer.

So why drop two whole layers at once? A little more or less, it all makes one want to complain.

I feel sorry for my immortal sword too, Lu Mingyi grumbled inwardly.

Her sword was named “Gu Li,” forged by Jiang Liuzhao from Flowing Cloud Star Iron obtained in a Taixu Secret Realm. The blade was as light and thin as a cloud, wrapped in faint golden flowing light—perfectly compatible with Lu Mingyi’s Metal Spiritual Root.

Now, she feared she wouldn’t have many chances left to wield it.

To say she felt no fear or resentment watching her cultivation vanish bit by bit would be pure pretense.

But Lu Mingyi didn’t want to spend her days moping, lamenting the heavens, or blaming others. How to get through today—that was what occupied her every day.

As for tomorrow? Who knew what it might bring?

Just like that inexplicable voice she’d heard.

After hearing it three times in a row, each with a different voice, Lu Mingyi could no longer dismiss it as “hallucination.”

Hearing other people’s voices frequently was a very bad omen in the Cultivation World.

Upon entering the Book Collection Pavilion, Lu Mingyi flashed her direct disciple Identity Token. The array at the entrance infused it with a spell, granting her access to all floors except the forbidden Ninth Layer.

Over the past three years, in search of the cause of her body’s anomalies, she’d frequented this place and knew it like the back of her hand.

She headed straight to the sixth floor’s Cultivation World history section, pulling out the thickest tome, The Origins and Systemic Development of the Cultivation World. She flipped to the chapter on “Branches of Dao Cultivation and Demonic Cultivators” and began reading.

The Taiqing Sect required all Five Peaks to study Cultivation World history. To pass the exams back then, Lu Mingyi had nearly memorized this book. Decades later, many details had faded from memory.

But she remembered one thing: hearing numerous negative voices that sowed doubt in oneself and others was a hallmark sign of qi deviation.

However, reading the section on conditions leading to qi deviation, Lu Mingyi was certain it wasn’t her. She had no obsessive fixation, nor any buildup of gloom or negative emotions.

She then opened Mythological Systems of the Ancient Cultivation World, which mentioned divine beasts called phoenix birds from ancient times—symbols of peace and auspiciousness, possessing the divine ability to peer into hearts and hear thoughts.

Before pondering if the voices she’d heard were truly “human,” Lu Mingyi first ruled out the possibility of her having such a divine beast ability.

There were indeed rumors nowadays claiming certain families descended from divine beasts—like the Xiao Family, said to carry phoenix bird bloodline.

But these were just hearsay, mostly spread to hype up family prestige. If Shen Family Young Mistress Shen Mingzheng heard such talk, she’d probably scoff.

Moreover, if she truly had such an ability, why would it only manifest now?

Lu Mingyi pondered deeply in her mind. She ended up staying in the Book Collection Pavilion the entire day. If not for her Identity Token flashing repeatedly with an incoming message, she would have kept searching for clues.

“Hm? Senior Aunt Ming Xuan?”

Exiting the pavilion, Lu Mingyi checked the message on her token. It was several urgent summons from Yao Ye Zhenren to return to Jin Ji Pavilion immediately.

But Lu Mingyi was on foot. Even hurrying, it took a full two incense sticks’ time to get back to Jin Ji Pavilion.

Thus, from afar, she spotted a tall woman with a darkened face standing at her residence’s entrance.

“Lu Mingyi! You kept me waiting, you brat!” Spotting her, Ming Xuan hollered and stormed over, jabbing furiously at her forehead. “Didn’t your master tell you I came by last night with medicine? She asked me to look after you these days. I heard you were injured and your cultivation dropped again. I waited from last night till tonight, thinking you’d gone off somewhere to… to do something drastic. You scared me half to death!”

“Wait!” To save her forehead from being poked into sparks, Lu Mingyi hurriedly retreated a few steps, shielding her face. “Senior Aunt Ming Xuan, my master said you’d bring me pills, but not that you’d deliver them personally!”

Her eyes widened innocently, looking all obedient and sensible. “If I’d known it was you coming in person, I’d have been waiting at home ages ago, brewing a pot of bamboo leaf green tea for you.”

“She didn’t say?” Ming Xuan’s anger deflated at once, replaced by veiled worry. “Your master is always so cautious. Looks like the situation really is dire…”

“Senior Aunt, is there something urgent in the sect?” Hearing Jiang Liuzhao mentioned, Lu Mingyi followed up.

Ming Xuan glanced at her, weighing her words. “Let’s go inside. I’m waiting for that bamboo leaf green.”

As Pill Peak’s Peak Lord and Yao Ye Zhenren, Ming Xuan was fellow disciples with Jiang Liuzhao and shared a close bond.

Since joining the sect as Jiang Liuzhao’s direct disciple, Lu Mingyi had interacted often with this senior aunt. Even after her health issues arose, the costly pills had all been personally refined by Ming Xuan.

Ming Xuan also possessed a Pure Fire Heavenly Spiritual Root. Her temperament was straightforward and fiery. Besides pill refining, she had a hobby of tea drinking to cool her temper—and Lu Mingyi’s tea brewing was top-notch. Every visit to Sword Peak, she’d get a pot of bamboo leaf green from her.

“The Sect Leader’s condition has worsened. Your master went to visit her and is handling sect affairs on her behalf.” No sooner had she sat than Ming Xuan got straight to the point.

Lu Mingyi added tea leaves to the pot and prepared to rinse them. She didn’t interrupt, knowing more was coming.

Sure enough, Ming Xuan sighed deeply. “Lately, the world hasn’t been peaceful. The Demon Sect seems to be stirring. They’re probably still obsessed with the legend of the Five-Colored Stone. The righteous great sects and families are all on high alert.”

The path of cultivation was long and arduous, with few attaining the Dao.

Beyond limits of talent and fortune, those with unsteady minds easily birthed heart demons or fell into qi deviation, degenerating into demonic cultivators.

Demonic cultivation often involved slaughter, making it intolerable to the righteous path. In the great righteous-demonic war a millennium ago, the demonic cultivators suffered a crushing defeat and were confined to the northwest corner, unable to approach Nine Provinces’ heartlands.

Yet in recent centuries, the “Demon Sect” had risen, acting with ruthless cunning and troubling the righteous sects and families.

Ming Xuan continued, “The Demon Sect won’t act rashly. They might have already planted spies among the righteous path. Your master believes, in this situation, your position in the sect makes you a target. So while she’s tied up, I’ll be looking after you.”

“Me? A target?” Lu Mingyi paused in rinsing the tea, puzzled.

She actually wanted to ask why Jiang Liuzhao hadn’t told her this herself—there’d been opportunity two days ago at Lingsmoke Pavilion.

But that sounded too childish, so she held it back.

Ming Xuan looked at the unchanged figure before her. The usually blunt woman fell silent for a moment before softening her tone. “You don’t remember? Sixty years ago, the Demon Sect Saintess infiltrated the righteous path to steal a secret treasure. You were the one who exposed her scheme, thoroughly disrupting the Demon Sect’s plans and forcing them back into hiding.”

“Ah, so Master and Senior Aunt think the Demon Sect harbors grudges for revenge?” Hearing the explanation, Lu Mingyi poured out the rinse water, arching a brow. “I’m in this state now. Does the Demon Sect really need to waste time on me?”

“Those Demon Sect folk are cruel and perverse by nature. After such a huge loss, they won’t let it go easily. Better safe than sorry.” Fearing Lu Mingyi didn’t grasp the gravity, Ming Xuan stressed, “All these years, you’ve been seen as the heir to your master’s Long Rainbow Sword Venerable mantle—the top among your generation. Don’t you know how significant you are?”

Lu Mingyi nodded along to the first half, but the latter part left her face full of question marks. “Senior Aunt Ming Xuan, this is the Xin You year.”

“So what about Xin You year?”

“What you’re talking about is probably from the last cycle of sixty years ago.” Lu Mingyi controlled the fire to boil water, even sniffing dramatically as if moved. “I never imagined Senior Aunt cared so much about me, remembering my matters so clearly…”

“Hey, hey, where’d you go with that!” Ming Xuan barked in exasperation.

But Lu Mingyi remained unconcerned. As the water boiled, steam rose, muffling her voice. “It’s true. That’s all ancient history now.”